Lighter using liquefied gas as fuel

ABSTRACT

A lighter using liquefied gas as fuel comprising a previously sealed liquefied fuel reservoir, a mechanism adapted to be moved in association with initial igniting operation for unsealing said liquefied fuel reservoir, a vaporized gas reservoir, a gasjetting nozzle communicating with said vaporized gas reservoir, and an ignition member located adjacent said nozzle, wherein said mechanism adapted to be moved in association with initial igniting operation for unsealing said liquefied fuel reservoir establishes a communication between said liquefied fuel reservoir and the vaporized gas reservoir and interrupts this communication by its automatically restoring operation.

United States Patent Inventor Yoshinao Wakamatsu Tokyo-to, Japan Applv No. 8,234 Filed Feb. 3, I970 Patented July [3, l97l Assignee Ylsuhlsa Eblu:

Ota-Ku, Tokyo-to, Japan Priority Feb. 13, 1969 Japan "0862 LIGHTER USENG LIQUEFIED GAS AS FUEL 17 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

)5. Cl 431/254, 43 [/277 int. Cl F23q [/04 Field Search i. 431/254, 255, 267, 277

| so; References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l l60,965 l/l968 Spreter or al 431/254 3,479,!25 ll/l969 Newman 431/254 Primary Examiner-Edward Gr Favors Attorney-Steinberg & Blake ABSTRACT: A lighter using liquefied gas as fuel comprising a previously sealed liquefied fuel reservoir. a mechanism adapted to be moved in association with initial igniting operation for unsealing said liquefied fuel reservoir, a vaporized gas reservoir, a gas-jetting nozzle communicating with said vaporized gas reservoir, and an ignition member located adjacent said nozzle, wherein said mechanism adapted to be moved in association with initial igniting operation for unsealing said liquefied fuel reservoir establishes a communication between said liquefied fuel reservoir and the vaporized gas reservoir and interrupts this communication by its automatically restoring operation.

PATENTEU JUL I 3 I97l 3, 592 57S SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTOR YUSHINAO WAKAMATSU PATENTEUJULIBIHH 3592579 sum 2 0F 3 INVENTOR YOSHINAO WAKAMATSU PATENTED JUL 1 3 Ian SHEET 3 BF 3 INVENTOR YUSHIIVAO WAKAMA BY Wnwvs LIGHTER USING LIQUEFIED GAS AS FUEL BACKGROUND OF INVENTION With a lighter especially for smoking, even a short duration of flame is sufficient for practical use. A lighter according to this invention provides a flame in each ignition of the duration substantially equal to that of flame of a match and thereafter the flame goes out spontaneously. Conventional lighter has had no automatic mechanism by which a flame produced from each ignition goes out in a predetermined duration and therefore the duration of flame has been left to user's will. Such a lighter, accordingly, has been not only economically disadvantageous since fuel of amount more than necessary has been consumed but also mechanically disadvantageous since an exact valve mechanism has been required for opening and closure of a nozzle so as to jet vaporized gas upon or before igniting operation, and this valve mechanism has been required to serve also for putting flame out ISCIS will. Furthermore, incorporation of such an exact valve has required extremely high exactness and cost in production of lighter. The lighter according to this invention reduces the cost by eliminating such a valve which has conventionally been incorporated in a nozzle. It will be not wasteful, therefore, to throw the lighter away upon exhaustion of liquefied fuel within an assembled reservoir. The lighter adapted to be disposed upon exhaustion of fuel would inflict a loss upon user if full amount of fuel is kept before delivered to user. In other words, with the lowcost lighter of such arrangement that the reservoir cannot be refilled after exhaustion of fuel, said reservoir must be kept sealed before delivered to user. With conventional lighter of such a disposable type, the fuel reservoir has not been sealed in desired manner as above mentioned. An arrangement such that the perfect sealing of liquefied fuel reservoir is broken upon initial use by user and the part of sealing that has been broken is utilized as a communication passage for supplying vaporized gas in advantageous in that no additional operation is required for user when the lighter is initially used. Conventional lighter has a vaporized gas reservoir into which a predetermined amount of vaporized gas is filled by each ignit ing operation. The arrangement such that a member movable in association with igniting operation establishes a communication between the fuel reservoir and said vaporized gas reser voir and this communication is interrupted by said member being restored has not ever been employed. Gas within the vaporized gas reservoir which is isolated by interruption of said communication hole is used for maintenance of flame, so that the demand for valve to be incorporated into the nozzle to control the duration of flame may be eliminated. A suitable filter is used in gas passage as a resistance to flow of gas discharged from the vaporized gas reservoir whereby not only a predetermined height of flame is obtained without separate provision of adjusting mechanism for the flame height but also the duration of flame may be prolonged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the presen invention is to eliminate drawbacks in using or producing lighter of prior art. The first object of this invention is to provide a lighter by which a predetermined duration of combustion is obtained with each ignition for economical use of said lighter. The second object of this invention is to provide a lighter of low cost in View of times for which the lighter itself is usable by saving an amount of fuel required for each ignition. The third object of this invention is to provide a lighter of the lowest cost by employing the features of this invention. The fourth object of this invention is to provide a low-cost lighter wherein fuel filled in the reservoir and involved in the cost is free from any natural loss before the lighter is delivered to user and I percent of fuel filled in the reservoir is used for ignition. The fifth object of this invention is to avoid the danger due to undesired continuation of combustion caused by users carelessness and wasteful leaking of vaporized gas. The other objects of this invention will be understood from description of construction and operation as given later with reference to preferred embodiments of this invention.

For realization of these useful objects, the present invention provides a lighter comprising a sealed liquefied gas reservoir, a mechanism operating in association with igniting operation adapted to break the scaled condition at initial use of the lighter, a vaporized gas reservoir into which vaporized gas is filled from the part of sealing that has been broken as a passage, a nozzle having no opening ai d closing valve which communicates with said vaporized gas reservoir, and an igniting mechanism of prior art adapted to produce a heat source adjacent said nozzle, wherein said mechanism adapted to break sealing of said liquefied gas reservoir interrupts the communication between said liquefied gas reservoir and said vaporized gas reservoir by automatically restoring operation of said mechanism, isolating said vaporized gas reservoir, and thereby cffectuates discharging of vaporized gas through the nozzle having no valve for maintenance of flame. Upon initial igniting operation of user, therefore, not only the liquefied gas reservoir is unsealed but also the ignition and the subsequent predetermined duration of combustion are obtained, and thereafter the predetermined duration of combustion will be repeatedly obtained by each igniting operation. If each predetermined dura ion of combustion is insufficient for a particular end, the mechanism in association with ignition may be operated again during d"ration of flame and held in depressed position for a long r continuation of combustion.

BRIEF DESCRi""' N 3F DRAWING FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing an embodiment of gas lighter according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. I as shown in ignited condition;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view showing another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 as shown in ignited condition;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along a line Vl-Vl of FIG. 5', and

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view showing further another embodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. I and 2 showing an embodiment of this invention, a numerical reference 1] designates a body of gas lighter which forms at lower part thereof a reservoir 12 for storage of liquefied gas such as liquefied butane and at upper part thereof two bare openings longitudinally arranged. One of these two openings is defined by a bottom wall of another re ervoir 17 adapted to store a predetermined amount of vaporized gas and another of these two openings serves to hold and to guide an operative cylinder 19 which is required for igniting operation and/or for introduction of vaporized gas by establishing a communication between the reservoir 12 liquefied gas and the another reservoir 17 of vaporized gas. Construction and operation of said reservoir 17 of vaporized gas and said operative cylinder l9 will be described later. Upper portion of the lighter body 11 is covered with a cap 13 which is provided in well-known manner with an opening 14 permitting a rotatable file wheel to be operated and a flame to be produced by this operation of the file wheel. The cap 13 encloses within a cavity formed therein an upper housing 24 forming upper portion of the reservoir 17 of vaporized gas and facilitating operation of said operative cylinder 19. Lower peripheral edge of the upper housing 24 is secured to upper edge of said lighter body I] in sealed relation. The upper housing 24 is provided with a bottomless pit and a bore 20 through a part of said upper housing 24. The former communicates with the one bare opening of the lighter body ll whereby forming the airtight reservoir of vaporized gas while the latter communicates with another bare opening of said lighter body 1] so as to hold the operative cylinder 19 and to guide the movement thereof. A gas-jetting nozzle having a gas spout 35 is mounted on the part of the upper housing 24 that corresponds to upper portion of the reservoir 17 for storage of vaporized gas and said gas spout 35 is provided at lower portion thereof a filter made of porous material such as foamed plastic in order to decelerate gas jetting in high speed from the reservoir of vaporized gas to the extent that proper amount of gas required for combustion may jet out for a proper duration. The operative cylinder 19 is inserted into the bottomless upright pit formed by communication between the one bare opening located on upper portion of the lighter body It and said bore of the upper housing 24, and said operative cylinder 19 is vertically movable along this pitv The operative cylinder 19 is provided at upper end with a vertical notch in a manner that said upper end presents bifurcate branches between which a file wheel 16 rotates in well-known manner about an axis 36 extending across said bifurcate branches. Moreover, lower end of the operative cylinder 19 is formed as a pointed end 39 which is opposed to bottom of the one opening of the lighter body 11. This bottom of the lighter body 11 is formed thinner than all the rest portions of the lighter body II as a partition 28 adapted to be broken through by the pointed end 39 upon initial forcible depression of the operative cylinder 19. It will be understood that such an arrangement is helpful for preventing liquefied gas stored in the reservoir 12 of gas lighter according to the invention from gasifying or leaking from production to delivery. To this end, the lighter body It is preferably made of plastic or soft metal such as aluminum.

The operative cylinder 19 has a cavity vertically extending therein. Within this cavity, there is disposed a compression spring 23 above which a flint 22 is held on a support member 32, as in a manner of prior art, biased by said compression spring 23. Thus, the flint 22 upwardly biased by said spring 23 is well urged against the file wheel 16 at lower surface thereof. The operative cylinder 19 has a flange 33 formed below the position where the file wheel 16 is mounted. A compression spring 2! is disposed between said flange 33 and a washer 34 inserted into upper opening of the upper housing 24 so that the operative cylinder 19 is always biased upward with respect to the lighter body 11. A stopper for preventing the operative cylinder 19 from snapping out is not shown, but anyway this effect is achieved by engagement of said flange 33 with the cap 13. The operative cylinder 19 is provided at positions opposed to the reservoir I7 of vaporized gas with two communication holes 27 and 37 vertically arranged side by side, which are adapted to be opposed to a bore through a part of the upper housing 24, respectively, when said operative cylinder 19 is normally positioned and depressed. A numerical reference 26 designates a filter made of porous material such as foamed plastic. Packing member 10 and 30 are interposed between the operative cylinder I9 and the upper housing 24. The lower packing member 10 is to prevent, when the user carries the lighter of which the partition 28 has been already broken fuel in the reservoir 12 from flowing as in liquefied condition into an inner cavity of the operative cylinder 19 and the reservoir [7 storage of vaporized gas whereas the upper packing member 30 is to prevent any vaporized gas from leaking from said inner cavity of the operative cylinder 19 and said reservoir 17 for storage of vaporized gas through a gap between said operative cylinder 19 and the upper housing 24 to the exterior.

On the point when the lighter according to this invention has been finished by manufacturer, the reservoir 12 is full of liquefied gas such as butane and the fuel in this reservoir 12 is kept sealed by the partition 28 so that any natural loss of the fuel is perfectly prevented before delivery to user. As in lighters of prior art, the user may put his or her finger tip on the file wheel 16 of his or her gas lighter once delivered and depress and rotate it almost at one coup in order that such an initial operation causes the operative cylinder 19 to compress the spring 21 downward whereby the pointed end 39 breaks through the partition 28 of the reservoir 12, establishing a communication between said reservoir 12 and the reservoir 17 for storage of vaporized gas as seen in FIG. 2. This gas passage comprises the reservoir 12, the broken partition 28, the communication hole 37 below the gap d provided between the operative cylinder [9 and the inner wall of the opening of the lighter body 11, the inner cavity of said operative cylinder 19, the upper communication hole 27, the filter 26 covering the bore 25 provided through the side of said operative cylinder 19 and the reservoir 17 for storage of vaporized gas. Vaporized gas filled in the reservoir 17 is discharged at once through the filter 28, the gas spout 35 and the gasjetting nozzle 25 to the outside and ignited by spark produced from friction between the flint 22 and the file wheel 16 rotated immcdiately after depression of the operative cylinder 19.

With the lighter according to this invention, the operative cylinder 19 is kept by a suitable operation depressed even after ignition and thereby the flame is maintained by the vaporized gas continuously supplied through said passage just as with conventional lighter of this type. The present invention is characterized, however, rather in that the flame is maintained for a predetermined duration by relieving the operative cylinder 19 from a depressing force immediate after ignition. Upon quitting users finger tip from the file wheel 16 in the ignited state as shown in FIG. 2, biasing force of the spring 21 which has been compressed restores at once the operative cylinder 19 upward to the initial position as shown in HO. 1 where the passage starting from the reservoir 12 and passing the broken part of the partition 28 and the gap dis interrupted by the packing member 10, so that only the vaporized gas remaining in the reservoir 17 for storage of vaporized gas and the inner cavity of the operative cylinder 19 jets through the nozzle 15 for combustion, and after perfect combustion of this amount of gas the flame goes out. In general, accordingly, about a full rotation of the file wheel 16 and a downward movement of the operative cylinder 19 involved in said rotation of the file wheel 16 subject the amount of gas that is supplied into the reservoir 17 for storage of vaporized gas and the inner cavity of the operative cylinder 19 to combustion. This combustion of the predetermined amount of gas is sufficient for lighting in smoking or setting fire to the other combustibles so that the gas lighter according to this invention can be used economically and for long period without consumption of gas due to unnecessary combustion.

With conventional gas lighter commonly in use, a complicated valve mechanism has been provided which is geared with the members operated for ignition whereby burner member or nozzle is opened or closed, so that the gas lighter of such an arrangement has required a relatively high cost of production and has been often out of order during use. According to this invention, no mechanism opening and closing the burner or the nozzle in association with any external operation is included so that the production is possible with lower cost, and automatic interruption of fuel passage accomplished by restoring action of the spring 21 after used can avoid the risk that fuel should be vaporized and discharged wastefully due to a trouble in the mechanism for operating the valve included in burner section as often encountered in conventional gas lighter.

Furthermore in accordance with this invention, the amount of gas that jets through the nozzle 15 depends on pressure of gas supplied into the reservoir 17 for storage of vaporized gas so that, after ignition, the flame is gradually reduced instead of being enlarged beyond a predetermined size. This permits the flame-adjusting mechanism always incorporated into the conventional gas lighter to be eliminated and an effective gas lighter to be produced and provided with a relatively low overall cost. Finally, the gas lighter according to this invention is very useful as an igniting means even when this gas lighter is provided as socalled disposable lighter without a fuel-filling valve in the fuel reservoir 12 because the cost for each ignition approximately corresponds to that for each ordinary match.

Now FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment of this invention which partially improves that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 especially for further cutting down the cost of production. With the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, parts are designated by numerical references from 40 to 69 and it should be noted that each of parts in FIGS. 3 and 4 cor responds to each of parts in FIGS. I and 2 which is designated by the numerical reference 30 less than that in FIGS. 3 and 4. And the parts designated by numerical references of three figures are those peculiar to this embodiment. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is modified in view of advantage for production in following aspects relative to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. With the embodiment shown in FIGS. l and 2, the reservoir I7 for storage of vaporized gas is constructed by abutting connection of upper opening of the lighter body II to the upper housing 24 whereas, with this embodiment, a reservoir 47 for storage of vaporized gas is formed by an upper housing 54 alone in view of problem possibly encountered in sealing by abutment and more specifically by drilling said upper housing 54 from above or forming a pit having bottom at the time of casting said upper housing 54. And the cap 43 also is covered on the upper housing 54 integrally therewith instead of being mounted on lighter body 41.

As for a passage of vaporized gas, a pit 50 having bottom provided by the upper housing 54 alone holds an operative cylinder 49 and guides vertical movement thereof. The bottom of this pit forms a thin partition 58 integral with said upper housing 54. Such an arrangement differs from that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. I and 2 in that the partition is provided on upper part of the lighter body I1. With the arrangement formation of the partition 58 can be ad vantageously achieved simultaneously with drilling or casting of the upper housing 54 and the lighter body 4| may be efficiently produced as a liquefied gas storing reservoir of a simple construction. The pit 50 is provided at lower and upper portions with circumferential grooves 102 and 103, respectively, and resilient annular packings 40 and 60 rest in these grooves, respectively. The lower groove I02 serves as a part of passage of vaporized gas. With arrangement such that the groove 102 serving as a part of passage of vaporized gas is formed on lower part of the pit 50, a communication hole 67 of the operative cylinder 49 for suction of vaporized gas thereinto is also provided at the lower position of said operative cylinder 49 that corresponds to said lower groove I02. Vaporized gas, which is discharged from the partition 58 broken by the initial operation just as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. I and 2 and passes a gap d between lower end of the operative cylinder 49 and the upper housing 54 into a central cavity of said operative cylinder 49 enclosing therein a spring 53, is adapted to pass through a filter $6 of porous material such as foamed plastic mounted on bottom of said cavity. The filter 26 provided for the bore 25 through the upper housing 24 in the previous embodiment corresponds to said filter 56 mounted on inner bottom of said cavity 6| of the operative cylinder 49 in order that a large portion of supplied gas for duration of flame once produced by each igniting operation is not only governed by the capacity of the vaporized gas reservoir but gas within the cavity 61 of the operative cylinder 49 may be effectively utilized. With the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is obvious that the amount of gas necessary for each ignition corresponds to that introduced into the vaporized gas reservoir 17 and the cavity 31 of the operative cylinder I9, but actually the filter 26 interposed between said reservoir and cavity 3t of the operative cylinder I9 substantially acts a flow resistance against the gas flow supplied from said cavity 31 as gas jets from said reservoir [7, resulting in that dimension of flame is apt to be rapidly reduced. To overcome such a drawback, the present embodiment has the filter 56 as a flow resistance mounted on lower end ofthc cavity 6| so that the vaporized gas once introduced into said cavity 61 is subject to gradual pressure decrease of the same condition as in the vaporized gas reservoir and thereby the dimension of flame is prevented from being rapidly reduced. Such positioning of the filter 56 is effective,

on the other hand, for reduction of inner volume of the vaporized gas reservoir 47 and therefore reduction of size of the lighter as a whole for convenience of carrying.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, there is provided a bore I05 through the upper housing 54 serving as a part of the gas passage aligned with the bore 55 through said upper housing 54 for easily drilling said bore 55. With such an arrangement, formation of the bore 55 is achieved by a single operation of drilling said upper housing 54 from one side thereof and one bore of two bores 55 and 105 being op posed to each other across the vaporized gas reservoir 47 may be provided with a plug member I04 for sealing said reservoir 47.

Additionally referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a numerical reference 42 designates a liquefied gas reservoir of Bombe type forming a lighter body 4I, 44 designates an upper opening of the cap 43, 45 designates ajetting nozzle having the gasjetting spout 65 and 59 designates a porous filter mounted below said spout 65 for adjustment of flow just as in the previous embodiment. A numerical reference 46 designates a file wheel journaled by an axis 66, 5I designates a spring urging the operative cylinder 49 upward, and 52 designates a flint biased by said spring 53 against said file wheel 46. A numerical reference 57 designates an upper communication hole which, even after the operative cylinder 49 is restored upward upon ignition, maintains a communication of gas in the cavity of said operative cylinder 49 through the gap d and the bore 55 with the vaporized gas reservoir 47. A numerical reference 62 designates a flint-supporting member biased upward by the spring 53, 63 designates a flange urged upward by the spring 51, and 69 designates a lower pointed end of the operative cylinder 49 which, just as with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, breaks through the partition 58 with the initial depression applied upon said operative cylinder 49 so as to break the seal of the liquefied gas reservoir 42 for ready use of the lighter.

It will be understood from the aforegoing description with reference to two embodiments that the present invention is characterized by storing a predetermined amount of vaporized gas necesary for each ignition in the reservoir 17 or 47 for this purpose. Now with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, there is provided an arrangement such that a reservoir for storage of a predetermined amount of gas is movably mounted and the operation of this reservoir itself permits vaporized gas required for combustion to enter. With this arrangement, the vaporized gas reservoir itself may be kept in operative position for further continuous combustion with a relatively simple construction. In FIGS. 5 and 6, therefore, the vaporized gas reservoir is adapted to be driven by a linkage member which is moved, in turn, in association with operation of the file wheel. Just as in the embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of parts in FIGS. 5 and 6 corresponds to each of parts designated by a numerical reference 60 less than that of FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS. I and 2. The parts designated by numerical references I10 and more are those peculiar to this embodiment.

A lighter body 71 has therein a liquefied gas reservoir 72 of which upper open periphery I16 is engaged and integrally connected by suitable binding agent with outer lower surface of an upper housing 84. In actual, it is desirable that the lighter body 71 is previously fabricated as a Bombe structure for storage of liquefied gas, united with the upper housing 84, these united assembly is turned upside down, liquefied fuel is filled into said lighter body 71, then a bottom member 117 is covered over said lighter body 7] and finally a joint is sealed by supersonic welding. Otherwise, the lighter body 7! in tubular form is put on the bottom member 117 in advance, the joint is sealed by suitable techniques such as supersonic welding, then liquefied fuel is filled into said lighter body 71, thereafter the upper housing 84 is put thereon, and finally supersonic welding is given between said upper housing 84 and the periphery 116 of said lighter body 7 I.

The upper housing 84 is provided with two pits S0 and 9] the former being adapted to accommodate an operative IUIDSO (XIII cylinder 79 and the latter being adapted to accommodate a flint 82. The operative cylinder 79 has therein a vaporized gas reservoir 77 in form of inner cavity and a pointed end 99 as its lower end. The part of the upper housing 84 that is opposed to lower surface of said pointed end 99 is formed as a thin partition 88 which is easily broken through by depression of the operative cylinder 79, This feature is same as in the previous embodiments. The operative cylinder 79 is provided at upper end with a flange 93 and at midway with a constricted partially including a narrow communication hole 97 as an inlet of vaporized gas. Prior to insertion of the operative cylinder 79 into the pit 80, a flexible, airtight, annular valve member 119 is mounted around said constricted portion and a coil spring 81 for restoration is disposed between said valve member 119 and said flange 93. The inserted operative cylinder 79 is supported with said annular valve member [19 by a step 118 formed on inner wall of the pit 80. A gas-jetting nozzle 75 is fit into upper portion of the vaporized gas reservoir 77 formed within the operative cylinder 79 and this nozzle is provided with a filter 89 of soft and porous material such as foamed plastic transversely to the gas spout 95. The operative cylinder 79 under biasing action of the coil spring 81 is prevented by a spring plate 112 operating in association with said operative cylinder 79 as will be described later from snapping out.

The other pit 91 of the upper housing 84 accommodates a coil spring 83 for urging the flint 82 upward so that said flint 82 is always kept with its upper end urged against a file wheel 76. With the present embodiment, the file wheel 76 is rotatably mounted around a shaft 96 which is, in turn, carried by an operating member having at upper end a finger touch member 111 and the associative spring plate 112 extending from a part of said operating member has a curved end 113 in engagement with an axis 114 mounted on the upper housing 84. A numerical reference 73 designates a cap having an upper opening.

Application of user's finger on said finger touch member 111 and rotation of the file wheel 76 with a forcible pressure cause that the associative spring plate 112 associated with said finger touch member 111 which is now under a pressure is so bent as to depress the gas-jetting nozzle 75 since said spring plate 112 of which one end is fixed in engagement with the axis 114 is depressed at its free end. Thus the operative cylinder 79 supporting said nozzle 75 is moved down against action of the coil spring 81 and the pointed end 99 as lower end of said operative cylinder 79 breaks through the partition 88, establishing a communication with the liquefied fuel reservoir 72. Upon rupture of the partition 88, vaporized gas passes through the gap d, enters from inner peripheral surface of the annular valve member 119 bent by urging action of the constricted portion of the operative cylinder 79 and, after passing through the vaporized gas reservoir 77, jets out from the gas jetting nozzle 75. [t is in same manner as in gas lighter of prior art that ignition takes place with a spark produced by friction between the flint 82 and the file wheel 76 rotated during jetting of gas as above mentioned.

With this embodiment, user s finger may be quitted from the finger touch member 111 after ignition in order that the operative cylinder 79 is automatically restored upward by a restoring force of the coil spring 81 and the associative leaf spring member 112 themselves and upon such a restoration the bent annular valve member 119 takes its original position, blocking the communication hole 77 for interruption of communication between the liquefied gas reservoir 72 and the vaporized gas reservoir 77. As a result, flame is maintained until vaporized gas within said reservoir 77 is exhausted for combustion and thereafter goes out spontaneously. This function peculiar to the invention is common to this and the previous embodiments, but especially with the present embodiment the finger touch member 111 may be depressed again without rotation of the tile wheel 76 as flame is maintained in order that flame is further maintained since vaporized gas is again supplied through the communication hole 97 from the liquefied fuel reservoir 72.

Now referring to FIG. 7 showing still further another embodiment of this invention, an upper housing has therein three pits each of which accommodates a separate member achiev ing its particular function in the respective pit. The present embodiment is advantageous in that the construction thereof is most simple, that no high precision is required for fabrication of each part, and a low-cost lighter of high exactness almost trouble free may be provided.

Parts shown in FIG. 7 are designated by numerical references 200 and more, and it should be understood that these parts of FIG. 7 correspond to those designated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the numerical references 200 less than in FIG. 7. The parts designated by numerical references of l20s are those peculiar to this embodiment.

A lighter body 211 and a bottom body 127 are along the joint supersonic welded together. Upper and outer periphery 126 said lighter body 211 is in the similar manner welded to said upper housing 224 just as in respect with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Such an arrangement may be employed in this embodiment also as a Bombe structure for liquefied fuel such as butane. Three pits provided for the upper housing 224 by drilling or moulding (or casting) opera tion are designated by numerical references 217, 220 and 231, respectively. The pit 217 is utilized as a vaporized gas reservoir and is provided on upper opening with a gas-jetting nozzle 215. The pit 220 accommodates an operative lever 219 having its lower end fom'ied as a pointed end 239 and this pointed end 239 is opposed to the part of the upper housing 224 that is formed as a thin partition 228. The pit 231 accommodates a coil spring 223 on which is placed a fling 222 kept urged against a file wheel 216 rotatably mounted just above said flint 222 which is, in turn, well held within the pit 231.

A hole 225 establishing a communication between the pit 217 forming the vaporized gas reservoir and the pit 220 accommodating said operative lever 219 may be drilled laterally from sidewall of the upper housing 224 across the reservoir 217 together with another hole 128 aligned with said hole 225 just as in case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A plug 124 may be fitted into said hole 128 for sealing said reservoir 217. The gasjetting nozzle 215 is provided with, as in the previous embodiments, a gas spout 235 and a porous filter 226 across said gas spout 235 which controls the jetting rate of gas.

The operative lever 219 accommodated within the pit 220 is provided at upper end with a flange 233 and a coil spring 221 is mounted between said flange 233 and an upper step formed on the upper housing 224 so that said operative lever 219 is al ways kept biased upward. An elongage groove 237 having its vertical section in form of a crescent as shown in FIG. 7 is axially provided on one side of said operative lever 219 and this groove 237 serves as a part of supplying passage of vaporized gas. With said operative lever 219 occupying its normal position, a step is formed below the position corresponding to said groove 237 by decreasing the diameter of the pit 220. An annular packing 210 is provided for this step and another annular packing 230 is fitted between the communication hole 225 and the position lower than that corresponding to lower end of the coil spring 221 in order to prevent the vaporized gas within the pit 220 from being discharged directly to atmosphere. Upper portion of the flange 233 of the operative cylinder 219 is connected integrally with an interposing member 122 adapted to hold the file wheel 216 through an axis 236. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a finger support member 121 is formed on upper end of said interposing member 122. In addition, a numerical reference 212 designates a liquefied gas reservoir, 214 designates an opening formed in upper portion of the cap 213 for surrounding flame and an opening to facilitate rotation of the file wheel 216, and 236 designates an axis for supporting said file wheel 216. The file wheel 216 is rotatably mounted about the axis 236 extending across the finger support member 121 which interposes said file wheel 216 as it i ee! n FIG. 6.

In this embodiment, initial depressing force applied on the finger support member 121 depresses the interposing member 122 integral with said finger support member 12! and therefore the operative lever 219 resulting in that the lower pointed end 239 of said operative lever 219 breaks through the partition 228 and establishes a communication between the liquefied fuel reservoir 212 and the vaporized gas reservoir 217. Subsequent rotation of the file wheel 216 produces a spark from friction with the flint 222 and this spark ignites gas jetting from the gas-jetting nozzle 215 as a result of said establishment of communication. Passage of this communication established by depression of the operative lever 219 comprises the liquefied gas reservoir 212, the broken partition 228, the elongage groove 237, the pit 220, the communication hole 225 and the vaporized gas reservoir 217. When the finger tip is quitted from the finger support member I21, the operative lever 219 occupies again its original position due to a restoring force of the coil spring 221 and therefore the elongage groove 237 occupies the position above that of the annular packing 210, so that the communication between the liquefied gas reservoir 212 and the pit 220 is interrupted by said annular packing 210 in tight contact with outer periphery of the operative lever 219 and therefore said communication is broken. Accordingly, only the remaining gas within the vaporized gas reservoir 217 and said pit 220 is used for combustion and maintaining flame.

With this embodiment, the pit 23! accommodating the member necessary for producing a spark to ignite gas, the pit 220 accommodating the member adapted to supply or inter rupt vaporized gas from the liquefied gas reservoir 212, and the pit forming the vaporized gas reservoir 217 in which the gas-jetting nozzle is accommodated are separately provided in a manner that each of these pit mechanisms indepen dently operates. This means that troubles often encountered in combined mechanism are almost perfectly avoided and each mechanism may be successively incorporated on a conveyor for production with a simple operation for each phase of production, so the efficiency for mass production is remarkably increased. Furthermore, these pits 217, 220 and 23] may be advantageously formed concurrently with moulding or casting of the upper housing 224 and, even if these pits are formed not concurrently with said moulding or casting of the upper housing 224, these pits may be simultaneously formed on a single phase by drilling operation from one side.

The idea of the present invention will be understood from each of the embodiment as described above, but it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and the parts included in these embodiments may be varied by variation of dimension, configuration or arrangement, or addition of prior art, or exchange, with deviation from the idea of the invention. Although, for simplified description, only the flint and the file wheel are described as an igniting member with reference to the aforegoing embodiments, such a combined igniting member of flint and file wheel may be replaced by an arrangement of prior art such that a high potential produced from a shock applied upon a piezoelectric element is discharged adjacent the gas during jetting. As further another means for ignition, a fine nickrome wire heater may be red heated by momentarily supplied DC power and jetting gas may be ignited by this heat source.

I claim:

1. A lighter using liquefied gas as fuel comprising:

a liquefied fuel reservoir previously sealed;

a member movable in association with igniting operation;

said movable member having a member for breaking the sealing of said liquefied fuel reservoir;

said liquefied fuel reservoir being provided at upper part with a vaporized gas reservoir;

in communication passage through the part of said sealing that has been broken to said vaporized gas reservoir;

a mechanism adapted to interrupt said communication passage on the restored position of said movable member in association with said igniting operation and thereby to isolate the vaporized gas reservoir;

a jetting nozzle communicating with said vaporized gas reservoir; and

an ignition mechanism adapted to produce a heat source for stream of vaporized gas jetting from said gas jetting nozzle.

2. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that a portion of the sealed reservoir full of liquefied fuel is formed as a thin partition and lower end of the movably member opposed to said partition is provided with a pointed end.

3. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the member movable in association with igniting operation is formed as a hollow member through which a bore is drilled out as a communication passage for supplying vaporized gas through a cavity of said hollow member to the vaporized gas reservoir.

4. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that a member for supporting a flint adapted to produce ignition spark in cooperation with a file wheel is slidably provided and one end thereof is formed as a pointed end opposed to the thin partition of scaled reservoir full of liquefied fuel.

5. A lighter according to claim I, characterized by that a porous filter is provided transversely to gas passage along a spout of the gas-jetting nozzle so as to adjust gas flow.

6. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the vaporized gas reservoir and the pit for accommodating the member movable in association with igniting operation are formed above the liquefied gas reservoir and a communication hole provided between said reservoir and pit is provided with a porous filter.

7. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the vaporized gas reservoir is formed by an upper recess of a lighter body forming the liquefied gas reservoir and an inner lower pit, and that upper periphery of said lighter body is welded integrally to lower periphery of an upper housing.

8. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the liquefied gas reservoir is formed by a bottomless lighter body having therein a cavity and a bottom member welded to said bottomless lighter body along lower portion of said lighter body.

9. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by an upper housing provided with a pit which forms a vaporized gas reservoir and another pit which accommodates a member movable in association with igniting operation, and a coverless liquefied gas reservoir adapted to be welded to said upper housing along lower peripheral edge thereof, wherein a bot tom of said pit which accommodates said member movable in association with igniting operation is opposed to a lower pointed end of said member and formed thinner.

10. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the communication hole between the vaporized gas reservoir and the pit accommodating the member movable in association with igniting operation is the hole obtained by drilling the vaporized gas reservoir through from one side thereof and only the hole provided through one side of the upper housing is sealed with a plug which is fitted thereinto later.

II. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the member movable in association with igniting operation is formed as a hollow member which is provided at upper part with a gas-jetting nozzle and at lower part with a pointed end, and that the vaporized gas reservoir is located between said nozzle and said pointed end in movable manner.

12. A lighter according to claim 11, characterized by that a communication hole for establishment of a communication of the pit accommodating the movable vaporized gas reservoir with said movable vaporized gas reservoir is provided for said movable vaporized gas reservoir between said vaporized gas reservoir and the liquefied gas reservoir, said communication hole being normally sealed by a flexible annular packing, and upon depression of said vaporized gas reservoir said liquefied gas reservoir communicates through said communication hole with said vaporized gas reservoir as said flexible annular packing is bent.

l3. A lighter according to claim I, characterized by that a member for supporting the file wheel is operatively associated with the movable vaporized gas reservoir whereby said movable vaporized gas reservoir is moved by depressing force applied on said file wheel which is transmitted to said movable vaporized gas reservoir.

14. A lighter according to claim [3, characterized by that the upper housing located above the liquefied gas reservoir is provided with two pits one of which accommodates a flint adapted to produce a spark in cooperation with the file wheel and the other of which accommodates the movable vaporized gas reservoir.

15. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the upper housing located above the liquefied gas reservoir is provided with three pits, the first of which accommodates a flint adapted to produce a spark in cooperation with the File wheel, the second of which accommodates an operative lever movable in association with igniting operation. and the third of which is formed as a vaporized gas reservoir, and a communication hole is provided between said pit for accommodating said operative lever and said vaporized gas reservoir.

16. A lighter according to claim 15, characterized by that the pointed end formed as the lower end of the operative lever and the thin partition opposed thereto permits the initial igniting operation to establish a communication between the liquefied gas reservoir and the vaporized gas reservoir.

17. A lighter according to claim 15, characterized by that the pit accommodating the operative lever is provided at upper and lower parts with packings, respectively, so as to keep an airtight relation between said operative lever and said pit and said operative lever is provided with an axially elongate groove which is located above the lower packing at nonoperative position of said operative lever and below said lower packing at operative position of said operative lever. 

2. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that a portion of the sealed reservoir full of liquefied fuel is formed as a thin partition and lower end of the movably member opposed to said partition is provided with a pointed end.
 3. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by thAt the member movable in association with igniting operation is formed as a hollow member through which a bore is drilled out as a communication passage for supplying vaporized gas through a cavity of said hollow member to the vaporized gas reservoir.
 4. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that a member for supporting a flint adapted to produce ignition spark in cooperation with a file wheel is slidably provided and one end thereof is formed as a pointed end opposed to the thin partition of sealed reservoir full of liquefied fuel.
 5. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that a porous filter is provided transversely to gas passage along a spout of the gas-jetting nozzle so as to adjust gas flow.
 6. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the vaporized gas reservoir and the pit for accommodating the member movable in association with igniting operation are formed above the liquefied gas reservoir and a communication hole provided between said reservoir and pit is provided with a porous filter.
 7. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the vaporized gas reservoir is formed by an upper recess of a lighter body forming the liquefied gas reservoir and an inner lower pit, and that upper periphery of said lighter body is welded integrally to lower periphery of an upper housing.
 8. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the liquefied gas reservoir is formed by a bottomless lighter body having therein a cavity and a bottom member welded to said bottomless lighter body along lower portion of said lighter body.
 9. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by an upper housing provided with a pit which forms a vaporized gas reservoir and another pit which accommodates a member movable in association with igniting operation, and a coverless liquefied gas reservoir adapted to be welded to said upper housing along lower peripheral edge thereof, wherein a bottom of said pit which accommodates said member movable in association with igniting operation is opposed to a lower pointed end of said member and formed thinner.
 10. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the communication hole between the vaporized gas reservoir and the pit accommodating the member movable in association with igniting operation is the hole obtained by drilling the vaporized gas reservoir through from one side thereof and only the hole provided through one side of the upper housing is sealed with a plug which is fitted thereinto later.
 11. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the member movable in association with igniting operation is formed as a hollow member which is provided at upper part with a gas-jetting nozzle and at lower part with a pointed end, and that the vaporized gas reservoir is located between said nozzle and said pointed end in movable manner.
 12. A lighter according to claim 11, characterized by that a communication hole for establishment of a communication of the pit accommodating the movable vaporized gas reservoir with said movable vaporized gas reservoir is provided for said movable vaporized gas reservoir between said vaporized gas reservoir and the liquefied gas reservoir, said communication hole being normally sealed by a flexible annular packing, and upon depression of said vaporized gas reservoir said liquefied gas reservoir communicates through said communication hole with said vaporized gas reservoir as said flexible annular packing is bent.
 13. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that a member for supporting the file wheel is operatively associated with the movable vaporized gas reservoir whereby said movable vaporized gas reservoir is moved by depressing force applied on said file wheel which is transmitted to said movable vaporized gas reservoir.
 14. A lighter according to claim 13, characterized by that the upper housing located above the liquefied gas reservoir is provided with two pits one of which accommodates a flint adapted to produce a spark in cooperation with the file wheel and the other of which accommodates the movable vaporized gas reservoir.
 15. A lighter according to claim 1, characterized by that the upper housing located above the liquefied gas reservoir is provided with three pits, the first of which accommodates a flint adapted to produce a spark in cooperation with the file wheel, the second of which accommodates an operative lever movable in association with igniting operation, and the third of which is formed as a vaporized gas reservoir, and a communication hole is provided between said pit for accommodating said operative lever and said vaporized gas reservoir.
 16. A lighter according to claim 15, characterized by that the pointed end formed as the lower end of the operative lever and the thin partition opposed thereto permits the initial igniting operation to establish a communication between the liquefied gas reservoir and the vaporized gas reservoir.
 17. A lighter according to claim 15, characterized by that the pit accommodating the operative lever is provided at upper and lower parts with packings, respectively, so as to keep an airtight relation between said operative lever and said pit and said operative lever is provided with an axially elongate groove which is located above the lower packing at nonoperative position of said operative lever and below said lower packing at operative position of said operative lever. 